Splash
Art by Kenton Nelson
January 29 – June 12, 2016
Kenton Nelson was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He attended Long Beach State University and Otis Parsons Art Institute, and for the last 40 years has had his art studio in Pasadena, CA. He has been on the faculty of the Otis Parsons Art Institute in Los Angeles and the Academy of Art in San Francisco.
Nelson traces his interest in painting back to his great uncle, Roberto Montenegro, renowned Mexican muralist and Modernist. The style of Nelson’s paintings have their origins in American Scene painting, Regionalism, and the work of the WPA artists of the 1930’s.
Nelson paints a distinctly California regionalism to idealize the ordinary with the intention of engagement, using the iconic symbols and styles of his lifetime in a theatrical style to make leading suggestions, not unlike the advertisements of his youth.
Nelson’s paintings have been featured four times on the cover of The New Yorker magazine. Recent exhibitions of Nelson’s work have been enjoyed from Los Angeles to Stuttgart, Zurich, and Salzburg. His oil paintings of figures, objects, and architecture have, as one critic said, “single handedly resurrected the sun drenched optimism of New Deal American Painting.”
On behalf of my students, colleagues, and myself, I would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the amazing folks at the California Heritage Museum. Everyone was incredibly welcoming, knowledgeable, and friendly to our large group! My students had a blast while learning about renowned artists important to California and Los Angeles' rich history. We look forward to coming back next school year!
Mr. Filidor, Educator - TEACH Tech Charter High School, South Los Angeles